So, okay, that woman's conference!!
Was AMAZING!! Everyone is going crazy over the Uchtdorf talk, including myself,
because it just hit right to the core. The spirit definitely touched my heart
and I could really feel how I could be a better servant of the Lord, not only
as a missionary, but as his Daughter throughout my life! I really am making it
a goal to look for the blessings and truly reach out in Love! I loved the
pioneer girl picture, and it totally made me tear up as I thought about my
mission and how, like the little girl, I left my family behind and everything
that was familiar to me. However, that doesn't mean that my path is necessarily
roses and butterflies- but it is bright because of the Lord and his tender
mercies. It's hard not to feel alone sometimes, to feel separated, but only the
Lord has been able to ''paint my mission'' to be truly bright, and brilliant,
and just wonderful!

So a couple of weeks ago I wrote about
a powerful experience we had with the spirit, when we passed by an old
investigator named Marcos when it was his birthday (we hadn't known, the spirit
totally guided us there!). Well we weren't able to find him for a couple of
weeks. Just a recap, Marcos is the only nonmember of his family. His wife is
endowed, his son served a mission, and his other son will serve a mission.
Marcos has been taught FOREVER by the missionaries! Like... YEARS. So he's been
dropped a lot of times (even by me personally), But now we started
teaching him again after that cool experience.

Well one night ALL of our plans were
falling through. There were tons of parties and drinking going on, so we were
feeling uneasy about working far away from home in case we needed to go in
early for the environment. Well, we weren't sure what to do and it was only
like 7:00 and we decided to try Marcos again (totally guided by the spirit) and
we didn't think he would be there because he gets done with work late, but we
decided to go after feeling we should. And he was there!! We started talking to
him, and we had planned to teach him the restoration, but suddenly he told us
of a friend who had passed away that week. We said, ''Oh how old was she?'' He
said, ''92.'' and I said, ''Well, how good that she got to live such a long
life! She must've been great.'' He said, ''Yeah but what's even the point? We
just all end up dying. I don't see a point to this life.'' Well that spun into
a great plan of salvation conversation and eventually, we really got down to
the core of his doubt on the purpose of life which was guilt from his own bad
decisions.

We started feeling that we should
teach about the atonement right then and there and the reality of ''2nd , and
3rd, and 100th chances'' to repent. He started tearing up and said, ''I used to
go to church and felt that the Lord was making me free from guilt and changing
me. I should go again. I'm going to go this sunday!'' I about DIED! He never
ever wants to come to church, and it is NEVER his idea!!

So then Sunday comes around and Marcos
is THERE!! I almost had a heart attack. I had worked with him so much with
Hermana Cabos and he just never ever progressed, but there he was. Completely
ready, and paying so much attention!

He was making comments in Sunday
school and loved fast and testimony meeting!! After the meeting he came up to
us and said, ''Wanna know a secret??'' we said, ''Yes, what?'' He said, ''I
think we are going to accomplish what no other missionaries ever been able to
do.'' And I understood, but I was shocked and I think he thought I didn't
understand because no words came out and he said, (a lot slower, haha) ''Like, I'm
never going to miss a sunday of church ever again. And I'm ready to be
baptized'' Just beaming!!

So we are in between trying to help
him get baptized this Saturday, based on his individual case, or setting a date
in the next month. Hopefully one of us will be here next transfer!! It is so
amazing to see such an INCREDIBLE miracle. It all just depends on when he is
ready and the date he feels is best!!

Basically, I just can't even believe
that happened and i''m still in shock. It just testifies once again to me that
this is the LORDS work and he is truly going to guide us where he sees and
knows to be right! I'm so grateful to be only a servant, and able to witness
his incredible power to change and prepare people to make those important
decisions. I'm just so happy!! :) This is the greatest! :) The Lord's power is
REAL my friends. So real!!!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO
MY MOMMY!!!!! She is turning 28 this year so if everyone could give her 28 hugs
and 28 sushi rolls from me that would be wonderful. :) And also happy birthday
to my second cousin Ariana! :)

So this week was
just FULL of opposition in our area!! Not with us, but with all of our
investigators. We both wonder if the Lord is preparing the area to be white
washed (two new missionaries come in) because all of our investigators are
going through family deaths, moving, divorces... it's insane! But, it has been
so wonderful to feel that sweet heavenly assurance to be still, be faithful,
it is all in my hands. It truly is the Lord's work and we work and work and
do all that we can but it's His work and He knows what he is doing! That is for
sure! :)

So we have a new
investigator named Rosmary who just had twins. We went to go see her this week
and the new babies, and we got super excited to hear the baby cries. We knocked,
and we walked in and saw.... one baby and Rosmary. We asked where the other
baby was and she very sadly told us, ''She passed away.'' It was one of the
most heart-breaking, but heart-making moments of my whole life. My heart just
burst for love for her and I knew that she was such a special soul to our
Heavenly Father. She asked, ''I just want to know where my new baby son came
from. Where was he before? And where is my baby girl now??'' She was so
inspired to ask us the perfect questions to talk about the Plan of Salvation.
We testified to her of the reality of a pre-existence and post-existence, and
how that one day she would have the chance to see and raise her baby girl. With
tears in her eyes she thanked us and said she knew what we were saying was
true, and that she felt so good. We later taught her in the week and set a
baptismal date with her for the end of October. She is so so prepared and it's
so true that something hard always precedes and follows something vitally
important in our lives!

We taught that
family again with the Autistic son and we taught the whole family together!
They loved what we are sharing and have so much potencial. The Lord truly is
leading us to very humbled and prepared souls.

So this week, once
again, we were running away from those crazy dogs I talked about 2 weeks ago.
Well, on a deserted road, and with them following us I got so sick of them that
I yelled like an indian and threw water on them. I seriously have problems. Our
District Leader later told us that, that wasn't maybe the best image to give
off, but he laughed so I think that means that it was okay. At least it was a
deserted street??? And they weren't hurt?? And maybe won't chase us
anymore???

Speaking of that
experience, later I hid from a moth in the house with my blanket. I'm still
more scared of moths than big dogs. Some things never change.

Other than that we
are super happy, and super healthy. I am finished the whole standard works for
my first time this week with finishing the New Testament and I couldn't feel
happier! My testimony of the Savior has truly been strengthened and the
importance of being faithful to the gospel. I just love how the scriptures have
such a profound impact on our lives, and truly strengthen us for the spiritual battle
we face daily.

I am hitting a year
this week on my mission (did I actually write out something about my time??)
and I am just shocked! The time has just flown by and it blows my mind. I just
wanted to mention it so I can tell you all my goal to ''sprint to the finish
line'' and make my last 6 months my hardest working, my last month my hardest
working, my last week my hardest working, and my last day my hardest working.
You have no idea how much your love and support has helped me to keep going, especially
when I didn't think I could. You are all the reason I am still able to be here,
going at it every day. Sometimes, when i'm down, I truly feel a small still
voice saying ''Your family is praying for your right now'' (or friends) and it
gives me the boost that I need. Thank you for all you do. I love you all so
much!!

Hurrah for Israel!!
:)

-Hermana
Schmidt

p.s. pictures are
from a zone activity we had today playing volleyball. We just play for fun. AKA
I was the worst on my team.

This week was, if I
could describe it shortly, one of the most spiritually edifying weeks of my
whole mission! I just love the spirit that comes with being a missionary! It's
a great overwhelming constant rush of joy! (and that really goes for giving
your heart to ANY calling, not just to being a missionary.)

One night this week
we were working super hard when we both felt super impressed to go see an old
investigator. We didn't know why, and we didn't have a lot of time, but we both
felt it so there was no way we could say no. And if there is anything i've
learned from my mission, it's the voice of my Shepherd and how to follow it
(doesn't mean i'm perfect at it, but I know what it sounds like, and I know I
need to act when I feel it!). So we went, and when we got there and he almost
was in tears and said, ''Who told you guys!?'' And we just were thinking....
uh..... told us what??? Whatever it is, God told us..... So then he
said, ''Who told you it's my birthday and I was thinking I wanted someone to
come visit??'' It's just moments like that when I just once again know God is
so real and it doesn't matter how many problems there are in the world, he
takes the time to answer even the smallest prayers of our hearts.

We taught a new family
(!!!) this week who was a referral from a member. They were super cute. It's a
family of parents, with 2 daughters and a son. The son was being super loud and
distracting and we just tried to be nice and patient with him. That was good
because halfway through the lesson the mom told us that they just found out he
is autistic. I thought a lot about my YW president Sister Keene and I just felt
an outpour of love for this woman and I testified to her that she could get
through any trial, because i've seen it done before. (Thanks sister keene for
your example!!) We testified to her of the reality of special angels who have
autism and the pre-existence and how very special they were before this life
that they are the way they are now. We gave her the answers they have
desperately needed and as the tears of gratitude spilled down her cheeks, I
just couldn't help but once again fill that wave of pure joy fill every bit of
me and think this is why I am here.

We have been seeing
lots of opposition with Diana and Brendi, but it's just because the Lord knows
they are so ready for baptism. It's teaching me how He feels when we know
something is right, but we are hesitant or unwilling to do it. It is so, so
hard. But we are not giving up hope, and I really really do believe in
miracles!

We had a mission
conference and later President invited us over for dinner with some other
sisters who have had some health problems during the mission. I felt really
grateful, and kind of lucky, because we were the most healthy ones there and it
was like, free, great food!! But, it was very very nice of them, and for sure
meant a lot to us. :) :)

To finish we had a
cool miracle yesterday with our house bathroom door. We got home from church
and the bathroom door was locked!! Well we all know that after 3 hours of
church like..... you gotta go..... so we were frantically trying every possible
key in the house, knives, forks, credit cards..... and nothing was working!! So
we got to the point where we had to use our neighbor's bathroom and then came
back to keep going at it. Well, I remember that at my friend Briana's house
when we were REALLY young we used to open doors with bobby pins and so I
started trying to open it with a bobby pin. I was shaking it like a maniac. I
decided, well duh! I need to pray! So I closed my eyes, said a little prayer in
my head, and kept going. Hermana Jackson walked up and we were like, ''Hm,
maybe we should just call the mission'' (We were dying of shame), and I twisted
the doorknob just one more time and we heard a beautiful noice as it basically
opened by itself!! It was a little miracle that even though we are testifying
24/7 that God lives and listens to us, he just wanted to strengthen our testimonies
a little bit more and show us once again that he really is so aware of us! Even
in such a silly little way as a locked bathroom door!!

I just love it
here. I just love being a missionary!!! I love you all! :)

Monday, September 7, 2015

Happy birthday to
my nephew Owen!! :) I can't believe you are 11! :) (if I did my calculations
right. If not, remember I was studying english not math before the mission).

SO much happened
this week but I have seriously no time, I will try to say it all but in the
smallest amount of words possible!

We went to the
temple, it was amazing!! There is nothing like the spirit that you feel inside
of the temple. It is definitely the number 1 spot for personal strength and
revelation! It was the very first time I brought a family name with me and the
spirit was SO strong! It was incredible! Families really are eternal!!

So we can't find
Brendi anywhere. :( So we will have to change her baptismal date. It's such a
bummer but we are looking forward with faith and hope that everything will work
out perfectly the way the Lord needs. All we need to do is try our best, be
obedient, and follow the spirit! It really is all in his hands!

Diana accepted a
baptismal date! (She is still praying to receive an answer, but she accepted a
''goal-date''). She really focuses in our lessons and you can just tell she has
such a desire for her family to know if it's true or not. We are planning on
taking them to an outside temple lesson this Saturday if everything works out!
:)

We have been seeing
huge miracles in our area and the Lord is seriously pouring out blessings on us
and has lead us to families left and right! It has been AMAZING! :) We are
really excited to see where some of these new families will go.

We met a lot this week with a new
convert named Leyri. She is 15 and has such a strong testimony! The only down
side is that she has crazy DOGS. Her dogs literally jump her big fence to chase
us down and follow us miles away!! For the whole night!! they drive us crazy.
This week we got sick of it, so my companion and I decided to run into a
colmado (like a gas station... kind of) and hide from her dogs but they found
us and the workers there were wondering what happened and we told them. One of
the workers started yelling, waving his arms, and chasing the dogs away for us
and yelling ''Run, run!!'' so we ran like maniacs down the street to hide from
these dogs.

2 Days later. We
did the same thing. But this time with Leyri herself. She put a balloon in the
fence to keep them from jumping it and we were happy walking down the street
when suddenly we heard a loud pop and we thought... oh no... and turned and saw
4 legs bolting in our direction. So we ran and hid under some stairs and the
dog couldn't find us but we could hear it. The lady who lived above the stairs
asked, ''what happened!?!'' And we said, ''ssshhh''.. We have problems.

Well that first day
we ran away from the dogs and made our great escape we were walking down this
road when a kind of drunken/drugged man started following us. It wasnt anything
too scary or dramatic, but he started saying weird things and getting really
close to us. We both felt to turn the corner and right there, there were two
cops whose motorcycles had broken down. It's so true that the Lord protects his
servants because the cops told the man to leave, and they told us he robbed a lot of people. The
Lord truly is in the small details of our lives!

Other than that we
are just working like crazy and LOVING it. We are pushing ourselves hard and
truly losing ourselves. I've never been happier. :)

Hurrah for Israel!
:)

Oh! and congrats to
my little brother for getting the lead in the school play, and my parents for
their wedding anniversary!! :) :)